Ricky Groves

Richard Groves was born on April 23, 1968, in London, England. He received his acting training at The Poor School in London. Prior to his most recognized role, Groves appeared in the series ‘Burnside’ in 2000, a spin-off from ‘The Bill’, where he portrayed the character Stu across two episodes. In the same year, he also had an appearance in ‘London’s Burning’.

Groves became widely known for his role as Garry Hobbs in the BBC soap opera ‘EastEnders’, joining the cast in 2000. He remained a central character, starring in an incredible 821 episodes, until his departure from the show in 2009. His character navigated significant storylines involving relationships, contributing to his memorable presence on the show. Following his departure from ‘EastEnders’, Groves continued to engage with television audiences through reality and competitive programming. In 2009, he participated in the seventh series of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, where he was partnered with professional dancer Aliona Vilani, reaching week 11 of the competition. He also appeared on ‘Celebrity Coach Trip’ with Alex Ferns and took part in the second series of ‘Splash!’ on ITV in 2014, demonstrating his versatility beyond dramatic acting.

His career highlights also include guest appearances in other television series such as ‘Life as We Know It’ in 2001, ‘Comic Relief 2003: The Big Hair Do’ as Garry Hobbs, and a voice role as Markus Creevy in two episodes of ‘Doctor Who: The Lost Stories’ in 2011. In 2012, he appeared in ‘Crime Stories’ and in 2014, he took on the role of Sweeney in ‘The Smoke’. He later played Hilary Loftus in one episode of the TV Mini-Series ‘Going Forward’ in 2016 and Jimmy Jangles in ‘The Tab Theory’ in 2021. Groves has also been noted for a brief return to ‘EastEnders’ in 2025, further solidifying his connection with the enduring British soap.